Clinical Update

‘Up to 20% of people with type 2 diabetes may actually have type 3c diabetes,’ GP Dr Patrick Holmes tells Dawn Liz Powell in this episode of the Clinical Update podcast. Type 3c diabetes, also known as pancreatic diabetes, occurs as a result of damage to the pancreas. Risk factors include chronic pancreatitis, excessive alcohol use, prior pancreatic surgery, and conditions such as cystic fibrosis....

The General Medical Council (GMC) says that patients should be considered to be ‘approaching the end of life’ when they are likely to die within the next 12 months, adding that one of the most challenging decisions — for healthcare professionals and patients — is when/if to withdraw life-prolonging treatment. In this episode of the Clinical Update, the MIMS Learning team explores how to identify w...

In this episode of the Clinical Update Podcast, GP Dr Kevin Barrett speaks to MIMS Learning’s medical editor Sangeeta Krishnan about bowel problems in older people. Dr. Barrett provides invaluable insights into the gastrointestinal issues in older patients encountered in primary care. He explores the spectrum of GI conditions seen in older adults, with a particular focus on diagnostic challenges a...

MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson and deputy editor Rhiannon Ashman outline how this year’s MIMS Learning Live South 2025 event programme aligns with GPs’ learning needs, and how the programme design meets delegate preferences. Find out which hot topics we’ll be covering at the event, listen to clips from speakers about why their topics are important and what they’re looking forward to, and recall...

People with learning disabilities have a lower life expectancy than those without, Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham tells medical editor Dawn Liz Powell in this episode of the Clinical Update podcast. She adds that while this can relate to  comorbid physical conditions, it can also be because of health inequalities . ‘ Possibly they don’t receive the same quality of care that the general population r...

From laryngitis to Parkinson's disease, vocal overuse to malignancy, this episode of the Clinical Update podcast explores some common and other more serious causes of speech and voice disorders. Listen for practical insights on patient assessment, red flags to look out for, vocal hygiene, and when to refer, so you can manage these presentations more confidently. You can access the website version...

As Women’s Health Ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan leads the implementation of the Government’s Women’s Health Strategy. In this episode of the Clinical Update Podcast she talks to MIMS Learning’s Deputy Editor Rhiannon Ashman about her focus on improving women's healthcare across their lives.  Professor Regan emphasises, ‘when we get it right for women, we get it right for...

Tired all the time’ is a common presentation in primary care. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning editors discuss this symptom from a clinical perspective.  This episode looks at some of the common causes of tiredness and fatigue, including sleep apnoea, nutritional deficiencies, thyroid problems, and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). I...

Asthma is the most common long-term medical condition in UK children, affecting about 1 in 11 children or young people. Dr Cara Bossley, consultant in pediatric respiratory medicine at King’s College Hospital, talks to MIMS Learning editor Sangeeta Krishnan about the risk factors, prevalence, mortality, and diagnosis of childhood asthma.  She also discusses the NICE/SIGN/BTS guidelines on ast...

About 40% of people with diabetes will develop chronic kidney disease (CKD), making diabetes the leading cause of CKD. Mortality in people with both diabetes and CKD is higher than in those with either condition alone. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning editors look at diabetes-related kidney disease. They discuss the mortality and morbidity associated with the condi...

GP and training programme director Dr Pipin Singh provides tips on when to use FIT tests, how to adhere to guidelines on their use, and discusses the need for clear protocols around referrals and safety netting to avoid delayed cancer diagnosis.  This podcast aims to help healthcare professionals to recall which test results are significant within the context of community testing and within G...

Autoimmune conditions are common, and people may be affected by more than one.  In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, the MIMS Learning editors discuss tips on identifying key symptoms and the importance of timely referral. Conditions discussed include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, coeliac disease and the blistering skin condition bullous pemphigoid.  Learn...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, Professor Willie Hamilton talks to MIMS Learning deputy editor Rhiannon Ashman about how cancer risk assessment tools can be used in primary care, why patients don’t respond how we expect when faced with the possibility of cancer, and why some of what we thought we knew about cancer diagnostics is no longer true. He emphasises that, where cancer is c...

Skin conditions are common in children, but their diagnosis can pose a large challenge.  Join the MIMS Learning editors Sangeeta Krishnan and Rhiannon Ashman for a discussion on paediatric and neonatal skin conditions, ranging from rashes to eczema. Learn how to identify key symptoms, distinguish between conditions based on their presentation, and manage them effectively in clinical practice....

In the ever-changing world of GP appraisal, there is a new emphasis on personal wellbeing and treating patients and colleagues with compassion and respect in line with General Medical Council (GMC) guidance.  In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson talks to GP appraiser Dr Ravi Ramanathan about the latest developments and what they mean for individual...

At least 1 in 50 people in the UK are living with an eating disorder, and it’s important to keep an open mind as to which patients may be affected and how they may present to primary care.  Join the MIMS Learning editors Rhiannon Ashman and Dawn Liz Powell for a discussion on possible physical symptoms of eating disorders, screening tools, and atypical eating disorders, as well as tips on ref...

Diagnosis and treatment of cancers such as leukaemia and myeloma poses unique challenges. In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson talks to haemato-oncologist Dr Majid Kazmi about how GPs and specialists can work together to build on progress in this area. After listening to this podcast, healthcare professionals should be better able to: Understand the het...

Broken heart syndrome, which is left ventricular dysfunction in the absence of coronary artery disease, is so-called because it can be triggered by extreme stress, such as loss of a loved one. Stress can also, in people with existing disease, trigger an acute coronary event and exacerbate arrhythmias. In this episode, the MIMS Learning editors Dawn Liz Powell and Rhiannon Ashman review how stress...

Around  25% of the total NHS carbon footprint comes from primary care, and a lot of that relates to medication, Drs Matt Sawyer and Mike Tomson – both former GPs – explain to deputy editor Rhiannon Ashman in this episode of the Clinical Update podcast. They go on to describe how remembering that there are ‘50 shades of green’ can help practices to make small tweaks – for example, to prescribing –...

MIMS Learning editors Pat Anderson and Sangeeta Krishnan discuss the progress that the NHS is making with cancer diagnosis, and pass on some tips for GPs on symptoms and signs of oesophageal and pancreatic cancers. After listening to this podcast, healthcare professionals should be better able to: Appreciate how the NHS is making progress with earlier cancer diagnosis Reflect on which cancers tend...

Biology accounts for about 70% of a person’s predisposition to obesity, Professor Alex Miras says to medical editor Dawn Liz Powell in this episode of the MIMS Learning Clinical Update podcast. However, environmental factors, such as deprivation, also play an important role in whether someone becomes obese. Professor Miras, who is clinical professor of medicine at Ulster University, also talks abo...

More than 2 million people in the UK are living with sight loss, and this is expected to rise to 2. 7 million people by 2030. In this episode, we look at a selection of eye-related symptoms, including thyroid eye disease symptoms, vision loss, double and blurred vision, and eye pain, and considerations for primary care clinicians who may encounter patients with these symptoms. After listening to t...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, Dr Sarah Bull talks to MIMS Learning editor Pat Anderson about her experience of running a diagnostic clinic for non-site specific symptoms suggestive of cancer. She describes how GPs make referrals to the clinic, what happens there and how the clinic can speed up cancer diagnosis.  Through case studies, she presents learning points for GPs on w...

In this episode of the Clinical Update podcast, Professor Peter Johnson, National Clinical Director for Cancer, at NHS England, talks to MIMS Learning deputy editor, Rhiannon Ashman about the state of play of cancer diagnosis in England.  He gives an update on the NHS Long Term Plan, discusses proactive case finding, the success of the lung cancer screening programme, and pilots being launche...

In this episode, editor Pat Anderson and deputy editor Rhiannon Ashman explain why MIMS Learning has chosen the topic of earlier cancer diagnosis for its 2025 campaign, and the 3 key elements – patient, presentation and pathway – that the campaign will address.  Earlier cancer diagnosis is a national priority, and the campaign aims to help GPs to have a positive influence where they can, duri...